Literature (G.C.E.(O/L) Prose -Non Fictional Prose- The Lahore Attack

 

The Lahore Attack

An extract from the Colin Cowdrey Lecture

by

 Kumar Sangakkara


before reading the extract from the speech let's pay attention to learn what a prose text is 

Prose 

Introduction: 

The 'anthology "Appreciation of English Literary Texts" contains all the important literary genres. 

Prose is one of them.

 Under prose, there are two main categories;

   Short fiction

   Nonfictional prose.

Nonfictional prose.

Under this category, there is

  •      An extract from a speech
  •     An extract from a biography.

 They are real life narratives and are selected for their factual content as well as for the power of the language in which they are communicated. The content is of significant value in the modern world. One, draws attention to the obligations of humans to other humans and the other, to human tragedy caused by nature. In both, one experiences deep human emotions.  The Nightingale and the Rose and The Lumber Room are imaginative stories created by writers. Therefore they belong to the category of short fiction and they have to be appreciated in a special way. An introduction to the short story is given before the guidelines to the two short stories. The paragraph below is to facilitate the teaching of non-fictional prose.

The two prose passages contain many facts but the facts in themselves are not important. Along with the facts there are feelings, attitudes and perceptions. Those tell us much about the nature or the characters involved and the significance of the situation they underwent. Such situations can be generalized a wider human context. It is this process of reading, comprehending and empathizing that is expected to happen when reading prose.

                                                                      

Let's Read the extract for understanding



Kumara Chokshanada Sangakkara was born m on 27 October 1977. He is a cricket commentator, cricketer and former player and captain of the Sri Lankan national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time Sangakkara scored 28,016 runs in international cricket across all formats in a career that spanned 15 years. At retirement, he was the second-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket and sixth-highest run scorer in Test cricket.

                                                        (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

On July 4, 2011, at the invitation of the MCC, Kumar Sangakkara, the former Captain of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team, delivered the Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s titled “The Spirit of Sri Lanka’s Cricket – A Celebration of Our Uniqueness”.

Watch the speech 


This extract is part of an oral delivery and has features of oracy, like 

elocutionary force and emotionally charged expressions. It deals with an

 awesome experiences faced by the cricketers and their narrow escape. 


Read the extract and answer the following questions:

 (a) How does the speaker prepare the readers/ listeners for the frightening event?

 (b) When does the turning point occur?

(c) Write the following sentence in your own words:   “the first test played on a featherbed passed without great incident.”

(d) What was Sangakkara’s anticipation of the second test?

(e) Would you consider Thilan Thushara’s words as ‘ominous’? Is it a flash-forward remark? Why? (Read from line 20 to 39)

(f) Who were hit by the terrorist attack? What was the nature of the injury suffered by each player?

 (g) How did Sangakkara face up to the situation?

 (h) How did the other players face up it?

 (i) What was the emotional impact of this event on the cricketers?

(j) It is apparent that the attack made the cricketers empathize with their countrymen who were threatened by terrorism. What line shows this empathy?

(k) To what does the speaker attribute the cricketers’ strength and self-confidence?

(l) Why does Sangakkara cite the soldier at the checkpoint? What does he try to illustrate by this incident?

(m) What does the last line tell us about the relationship between the public and cricketers in Sri Lanka?   

 

Now we must read it further  for appreciation and enjoyment. 


While reading the extract try to answer the following questions.

 

The extract reveals both reason and emotion, 

 (1) What ideas are put forward by Sangakkara about:

 (a) his role as a cricketer?

(b) his relationship with his fellow cricketers?

(c) his relationship with the public?

(d) his responsibility towards his countrymen?

 

(2) What are Sangakkara’s feelings towards,

 (a) his fellow players injured in the  attack?

(b) soldiers who sacrificed their lives to defend the country?

 (c) people affected by violence?

 

(3) Would you consider Sangakkara,

 (a) a great leader? Find evidence from the text to support your position.

(b) a great Sri Lankan? Illustrate with examples.

(c) a great humanist? Illustrate.

• It was conventionally accepted that a good cricket player was also a good

 leader. What features of the ‘good cricket player’ and the ‘good leader’ are 

revealed by the extract?     


Reading for developing critical insight.

(a) Sangakkara’s speech is an unequivocal expression of commitment to his game. Would you agree with this statement?

(b) The speech shows Sangakkara’s love for Sri Lankans. What has inspired this love?

(c) Could Sangakkara’s speech be used as a charter for cricketers?

 (d) Do you think Sangakkara’s greatness is due to cricket? Or do you think Sri Lanka cricket took a new dimension because of Sangakkara’s personality? 

(e) What lessons could a young person learn from Sangakkara’s speech?

(f) What features give the speech the power that it has? (g) Are there instances of humour in the speech? What are they? What is the effect of the humour?

(h) Would it be correct to say that Sangakkara is a great orator? What arguments would you put forward to support your view? 

Practice Activities

  1.    How would you describe the speaker in the extract “Lahore Attack? Justify your views with examples.

  2.       Kumar Sangakkara in his speech presents the true spirit of cricket and being Sri Lankan. How does he do it? Explain with examples from the text.

  3. Kumar Sangakkara is an example of true eloquence and wit that can bepraised in addition to his cricket. Is this a fair statement? State your opinion with examples from the text to support your views.

     

Reference: 
Teacher instructional manual
       

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